Today we’d like to introduce you to Elise Wagner
Hi Elise , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a little girl, I have always been fascinated by transforming spaces and snooping on real estate postings – no, literally! Back then, I’d snag the small local catalog of all the homes listed for sale at our go-to Mexican restaurant. I’d spend hours “matching” fantasy families to their perfect homes – highlighting all the great and unique things I’d read about the home on the blurb underneath the listing.
As a little girl, I could not count how many times I would rearrange my furniture and decorate. In my teenage bedroom, I had 2 decent-sized closets. I used one for clothes, obviously, and the other as a rotating “showroom” to showcase my latest and greatest creative design. At one point, it was a Twister game-themed room! Very “pop art” with primary colors and “modern” accents! Ha!
Fast-forward to adulthood. I’m still obsessed with real estate. I scour Zillow and Redfin daily and love that I can “peep” into the homes for sale (thanks, technology!). I love to redecorate—and now I have a whole home (and other homes!) to do it in! I love being creative with odd spaces and really letting the home’s personality shine through.
Mixing my love for real estate and design, staging was a no-brainer for me. At Uplevel, your home is never just a number. We work hard to create warm, inviting designs curated for each home. We highlight the home’s unique character and energy. We want the home to POP on the MLS and create an emotional connection with the guests it brings in.
I am passionate about what I do. I love to help homeowners and sellers set their homes up for success – usually their most prized financial possession! Staging truly makes a world of difference in so many ways!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wish it was a smooth road, but that wouldn’t be any fun now, would it?!
Our biggest challenge, like many home stagers or business owners in general, is keeping up with demand. When we first started, we sourced furniture for 1-2 homes. The next week, we got an order for 4 stages – this was stressful! We were still building our business and putting together processes! I am happy for the early on business, as it made us really stretch ourselves and grow quickly!
Fast forward to now, we continue to source and grow inventory. We are technically still “the underdogs”. We do not have a huge warehouse and still will source inventory specifically for spaces we take on to stage. This is my favorite part of the job, though. I am really enjoying growth mode!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In my 20s and early 30s, I was a corporate drone. I worked in Corporate Recruiting and did very well at it, though I never liked it. It is scary to switch up your career in your 30s. It takes a lot of courage.
A few years ago, my husband and I took a leap of faith and started a recruiting firm, ProForce Talent Solutions. Fortunately, we found early success. This was my first “entrepreneurial” taste, and I loved it! It was scary, and it was fun, but most importantly, we learned so many things along the way. This, no doubt, helped me get the courage to leave recruiting and pursue my passion – real estate and design!
From all my experience, I am most determined to continue to grow Uplevel with the customer in mind. I have always been intentional with my work and love to help others. This has helped me succeed in corporate, and also on my own!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Hmm.. Something surprising about Uplevel is that we are a sustainable home staging company. Where we can, we source locally and oftentimes secondhand. This is unique in the home staging business but a very, very important value to us. We love to use local items that tell a story – and as a bonus, the MLS photos look different, too! People get bored of the same white chair they see in every picture (you know the one!).
We love a unique, timeless inventory that is both on-trend and sustainable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.uplevelhomestaging.com
- Instagram: @uplevel_homestaging
- Facebook: @uplevelhomedesign
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethwagner317/
